1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auction server that is connected to a network to which information terminals mainly such as personal computers and the like are connected. More specifically, it relates to a method of conducting a network auction capable of improving an efficiency of bidding procedures by displaying a current state of bidding at all times to a bidding client.
2. Related Art
Recently, with a proliferation of the internet, many trading sites are emerging on the internet, which, by displaying a photograph and a text describing a trading item on a home page, invite an interested client to apply for its purchase, thus carrying out the trading to sell and buy the item on the internet. In such trading sites, if a quantity of trading items is limited, a so-called auction approach is used. There are several types for determining a winning bidding price on auction. For example, in case there is only one item to sell, an approach to determine only one bidder who placed a highest price to win is adopted. In case there are a plurality of items to sell, an approach to determine winners from one who placed a highest price to those who placed a second highest price, a third highest price and so on is adopted, or another approach in which while the winners are determined in the same manner described above, however, all the bidding prices are set at a lowest winning price placed by the last winning bidder is adopted.
Generally, in these auctions, a last winning bidder(s) is determined in such a manner that when its auction exhibit item is disclosed on the server connected to the network, a respective bidder monitoring the exhibited item on the server offers a respective price that he/she considers appropriate or affordable to pay, then the server after comparison of respective bidding prices offered from a plurality of bidder clients, finally determines the winner bidder(s).